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Campaign Finance

From October 2014 to the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire Primary 16 months later, AFSC trained more than 1200 people to talk with the presidential candidatesquestions about the excessive influence of Pentagon contractors, the for-profit prison industry, and a corrupt system that enables powerful corporations to drive American policy toward their own interests. Together, we asked the candidates more than 400 questions and documented many of them on this website. These "bird dogging" efforts, combined with the use of our giant banners and other educational activities, helped turn the political discourse toward urgent issues that might have otherwise been ignored.

I asked Ted Cruz what specific steps he would take to prevent corporate cronyism under his administration. While he applauded my question, he did not provide any particular strategies to reduce corruption.

Asked about intervention, arms merchants and campaign finance reform, John Kasich said "faulty intelligence" was to blame in Iraq war vote. Democrats were at fault in Libya. And arms merchants don't influence congress. He doesn't like big money in politics.

“People go in but they never come out, they never leave,” said Mike Huckabee at a private round table discussion on big money in politics while referring to a lifetime ban on the revolving door between Congress and lobbyists.